Velocitybts
New member
- Apr 11, 2013
- 178
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1995 750HP NSX Full Paint Correction
Then Glass Coated
Then Glass Coated
This is a very long write up with some good pictures. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Hope this process is a good review for some products.
A really good friend owns this vehicle. He wanted to restore the original gloss levels and see if some of the swirls and scratches could be removed or diminished. He never thought it would be returned to the level that it did. I could not resist being able to work on such an iconic supercar, and with the condition of the paint I knew it would be a challenge. I am in SC and the car is in Ohio. Financially it was worth the 3-day trip so I headed that way on Friday morning for a 10 hr. drive.
It is a 1995 NSX with 750HP and 655HP at the rear. Fastest car I have ever been in. It’s a Monster, and sometimes a daily driver. Pictures were sent to me and I knew the overall condition, totally swirled everywhere, marring from terry cloth towels, and so much it was dulling the finish. This included all the carbon fiber panels also.
Most vehicle owners do not know or understand what products scratch their surfaces. They think they are babying them, and taking really good care of them, but, not knowing causes most of this issue. My friend thought he was taking care of the finish, but wasn’t aware terry cloth bonnets on a orbital buffer was adding to the swirls. Final wiping with towels after washing was not helping either. Older wash mitts were adding to the swirls too.
I try to educate each customer for proper washing and drying techniques. That way, the money they just spent is not wasted. I also recommend products for them to buy and how to use them. I let them know that some of the products I used on their vehicle have products that work with them as you are doing normal maintenance. Ultimately it is their choice what to buy, but I try and let them know, not to just grab off the shelf at Wal-Mart.
Polishing Products:
• Meguire’s D300
• Menzerna SF4000
• Rupes Quarz
• Rupes Diamond
• 22PLE PRO Glass Coating for Paint
• Zaino CS Synthetic Sealant (For Trim)
Soaps and Interior Products:
• Chemical Guys Citrus Car Soap
• AMMO Plum
• AMMO Brute Wheel Soap
• DAWN 2x version for wash down before and after polishing to rid the vehicle of all oils (wanted to prevent any possible light marring from IPA
• AMMO Lather
• Blackfire Clay Bar
• Chemical Guys Leather Conditioner
• IPA
• Chemical Guys Black on Black
Tools:
Flex 3401 DA
Griot’s Garage 3” polisher
Meg Microfiber Cutting and Finishing pads (one panel required these)
Lake Country Hydro-Tech pads (assortment)
Wool Wash Mitt
Microfiber towels and mitts from Autogeek
Metro Blaster
Halogen Spotlight for correction light (I turn off all lights and use this light when doing correction work)
McCullough Steam Cleaner
The wash: (Friday evening-6-8pm)
I started with the wheels first. I used AMMO Plum iron deposit remover, let sit for 3-4 min and then used a Daytona Speed brush to get into the interior of the rims. (They were later removed to gain access to the wells and to clean the barrels of the rims) Then hand washed with AMMO Wheel Soap the rest of the tires, rims. I then rinsed off the wheels, then rinsed off the whole vehicle to loosen any large dirt particles. I then used the two-bucket method with a mixture of Dawn and Chemical Guys Citrus Soap and a Wool mitt and started on the roof. In between each panel I rinsed and re-soaked the wool mitt to lessen the chances of contaminating the next panel with particles. Then rinsed vehicle.
The clay bar:
After initial wash I used the Blackfire Clay bar with Poor Boys Lubricant before drying. I used a small piece separately for each rim. Then rewashed vehicle.
Drying:
I then dried the vehicle using the Master Blaster to eliminate any chance of marring the finish any more than it was already. I do this no matter what anyway, takes a lot longer, but in the end there is no chance of marring the finish and all the water is out of the cracks and crevices.
Taping of the vehicle: (Friday evening 8:30-9:30)
I started taping all of the trim on this vehicle. I noticed between every joint Honda used a rubber trim piece. (Similar to Mercs on the top of the doors and roof). This trim created several 2-3in strips to correct. I taped them really well and made sure the tape would stay, even with the DA running directly over them. I taped all the carbon fiber edges and the painted bra lines on the nose of the vehicle. This took at least an hour to do. Every time I though I was finished, I noticed more to do.
Leveling the finish to remove Swirls/Marring: (Friday evening 9:30-12:30)
NSX’s have a unique 27-part paint process from the factory. We have all read threads dealing with hard and soft paint conditions and how to go about removing swirls from them. I was prepared to deal with soft and hard paint moving from panel to panel. Sure enough, pending the panel I worked on, I ran into a few soft and a few hard. Overall the paint does bleed a little. This bleeding is possibly from slight red pigment in the Clear Coat when originally painted at the factory. (Honda NSX Fact Sheet)
Pictures of Swirls:
I did several test panels and decided that a combination of LC Hydro Tech Cyan pads using Meg’s D300 would remove what I needed to in order to level the finish. Several areas needed a second going over but came out perfect. Tight areas I used a GG 3” with the LC Hydro Tech 3” Blue pad using D300 and Rupes Quarz. (Quarz has too much dust for me and the working time appears to be minimal compared to the D300)
Some 50/50 shots:
The leveling took the rest of Friday night, and I started late Saturday morning. Between the rain and room in the garage, I took my time, and finally was finished around 6pm.
Polishing: Sat 6pm to 11pm
I started polishing the drivers side and the trunk lid. I used a LC Hydro Tech Tangerine pad on the Flex DA, and a white Detailers Image Polishing 3” pad on the GG 3” DA. Rupes Diamond Polish was used for final polishing. I finished every inlet, roof, trunk, and carbon fiber hood and the drivers side Sat night. Several areas had to be done by hand due to limited space. The inside of the hood, which was carbon fiber that was clear coated also, was done by hand.
Sunday 10am. Started working on cleaning the rims and wheel wells. Got them clean and applied Chemical Guys Black on Black to the wheel wells, and AMMO Mud to the tires. We were going to Glass the rims with 22PLE but ran out of the necessary time due to having to wash the vehicle before applying the glass paint coat. Then the rest of the vehicle was finished with polishing.
Checking the Work:
All Panels were inspected for any swirls or marks, and each one found, a piece of tape was used to mark it. 4 spots were found and re-touched up using the Cyan then Tangerine pads and appropriate polish. Then another inspection was done, and I concluded all possible scratches were removed. Other than those spots the paint came out absolutely perfect.
The Coating:
I did a thorough wash using CG Citrus Soap and then a very, very light IPA 50/50 wipe down. Due to the limited time with the vehicle, I wanted to take no chances to possibly introduce a scratch while wiping it down.
I am a Fan of the new GLASS coatings that are on the market. I have used Modesta (imported from the UK) before. 22PLE is a silica based Glass coating also but at half the cost, it is much more economical. The thickness of the coating is not nearly as much as the Modesta, however the protection and gloss levels are for the most part, the same. Whether the customer is a daily driver with minimal pre-cautions when washing a car or an exotic, these coatings benefit them both. The coatings can be topped for added longevity and a slight amount of added gloss. One unique factor to these coatings is that after application and curing times, the finish is not slick to the touch. Protection with no topping is approximately 18-24 months and helps to prevent swirls. I have not tried to polish any finishes that have been coated at this point, but have been told a light polishing will reduce any swirls that do enter the finish. I typically top it one week after curing time with AMMO Skin. That way when moving forward with the vehicle, everything I do to it will add to that topping.
The 22PLE was applied using a make-up pad in a crosshatch pattern to one panel. 4 min later two microfibers were used to lightly remove the haze. Then on to the next panel. The application of the product is simple and very easy. If you allow too much time before buffing off, the coating will become very tacky. All you have to do is re-apply the coating and then buff off. You can see exactly where you have applied it, and if not, you can feel with the pad where you have not covered. Minimal product, less is more, should be utilized when using these types of coating. 10-12ml per vehicle size allowing. First time users will likely see about 20ml per vehicle. The leftover coating will remain usable if the stopper is replaced in the bottle. If not then the liquid will harden. Curing times are 12-18 hrs. with absolutely no driving or vehicle being outside. Gloss really increases during these times. After that the vehicle can be rinsed or driven but no adverse weather driving for a few days. Total curing is about 4-5 days. Each day the gloss will increase slightly while the coating hardens. Gloss levels are incredible and each panel appears to be dipped in glass when viewed. This hard coating encases the perfection you achieved during the correction process.
Warning: Throw away all towels used while taking off the 22PLE coatings and the make up pad. They should be hardened stiff within 12 hours anyway. This cannot be washed out.
Leather:
Was not cleaned due to customer needing them the have Leatherique used on them, and time didn’t allow this. This is something he will take care of on his own.
Interior:
All dash surfaces and center console areas were wiped down using AMMO Lather sprayed on a micro towel. All leather surfaces (Pretty much the whole interior) were wiped down using CG Leather conditioner.
Trim:
The Zaino CS Sythetic sealant was applied to all exterior rubber. (Wiper arms, plastic wiper tray, ALL window seals, the Door Jambs and black hinge and wiring pieces, engine bay area, etc.…) I have found the Zaino CS is a perfect sealant to use for the trim on high-end details. The trim pieces stay black for 6-8 months and then just need a touch up. Same with wheel wells. No need for APC use, just soap and water and a brush, if that. Everything stays a nice deep black without being oily, or attracting dust.
Wheels:
Each rim was wiped down with a microfiber towel. I had wanted to coat them with the 22PLE rim Glass, but time did not allow for this application. The Rim coating sustains up to 900 degrees and can be applied to calipers also. From this point on, rims would only need soap and water for cleaning. (My recommendation would be to use GTechniq wheel coating or other (22PLE) Glass Coating to cover the rims, for a more permanent gloss and protectant)
Finished:
Vehicle was finished at this time. I nit picked the whole car with a thorough inspection and lightly wiped down again due to the 22PLE still curing. I moved the vehicle outside on Monday to take pics in the sun before the 10 hour drive home. My friend was absolutely amazed how the paint came out. It was approximately a 99% correction. (Very Few RIDS left, otherwise a 100%) He said it was totally better than when the car was brand new. Most people who correct paint experience this I am sure when presenting to the customer. The point at which the Glass had cured the gloss level was amazing. It appears dripping wet when viewed. I wish I could have had the time for the rims, but they need to be removed one by one, and with all the spokes it would have taken a few hours. Another thrilled owner, and the next day he was picking up a part at the Acura dealer, and when he returned to the car there were about 6 people walking around it in amazement. They could not believe that was original paint and how perfect the finish was. Glad I could help out a good friend.
Final Pics:
rops:
